24 July 2018

Hiding Wilderness

File:Brazilian amazon rainforest.jpg
Amazon Rain Forest (photo by Brazilian things)



One acre of the woods I never set foot in,
holding the wilderness so sacred I surmised
that curiosity would remove its magic—
that wildness once seen is wild no more forever.

You nod. “Yes, animals need the space.” But no, it
was for wild, for wildness itself, not for animals
that I preserved it.  Oh, certainly animals
could use it and love it— but not the human ones.

Look at the wearing down of public places, and
consider whether we must see them to believe?
You say "If no one sees trees stand tall in forests,
the trees do not exist."  I say the opposite:

Wilderness exists when it’s unseen—undisturbed—
I dare only peek. Once shared and tale told,
then more look, and slowly wilderness seeps away,
wildness slowly leaves and takes its secrets with it.

"What good is it?" you laugh, "If we can't use it?"
We know it's there, that's enough. Like money in the bank.
Like heaven, or like God.  Perhaps like our souls,
belief matters.  Allow wilderness to exist.

You pause, but then assert, "It shouldn't matter, then,
whether it is real or not.  Belief is enough."  
Ah, what will convince you?  Wilderness will not be
imitated or reproduced.  Hold it sacred.




My blog poems are rough drafts. 
Please respect my copyright. 


© 2018 Susan L. Chast

16 comments:

  1. You know how much I agree with this, my friend........wilderness untouched - not many places left where that is true..........I love "Hold it sacred." For it is, more than many humans seem to understand.

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  2. Wilderness is, a state of mind that can never be recovered, once humanity has touched it, in any way. Something, Western society has lost in our march of progress.

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  3. Your sacred wilderness is a beautiful hope, Susan

    much love...

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  4. holding the wilderness so sacred I surmised
    that curiosity would remove its magic—

    how true - and how interesting to pose the question and NOT give in to the temptation - and I really love the following line - the idea that even wilderness is affected/changed for itself, of itself, even by being witnessed .... what a truly interesting perspective.

    Perhaps like our souls,
    belief matters.

    I really like the ensuing conversation, the "gentle" argument, and how the two sides contradict - but when I came to this aspect, the part about wilderness being like our souls .... wow - that really just stopped me dead in my tracks, because it really, oh, how can I suggest this - it made sense, and not from a "tired and true to the ears" repetitive idea - but simply as something spoken from a very "honourable" conviction. Quietly spoken. And yet undebatable.

    interesting poem Susan

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  5. Wilderness is where nature exists without the need of humans, we can enter it but we must respect it but not interfere with it or take anything away from it as it shows us how the world can be without us. We just need a few million more humans like ourselves to shake some sense into the rest of the world's population.

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  6. Ah, what will convince you? Wilderness will not be
    imitated or reproduced. Hold it sacred.

    Yes, and it keeps slipping out of our fingers. It is there but not there unless one searches for it as poets do! Very thoughtful write Susan!


    Hank

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  7. That's a beautiful thought.. enough to know it is there..and the God analogy works..totally!

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  8. You are so right, Susan. We must hold the wilderness sacred and not destroy the magic; we need it. An acre of wilderness is an acre of wilderness, full of magic and respect for wild. The use of direct address is effective in this poem. Let's hope other people get the message. I also love the personification in:
    'then more look, and slowly wilderness seeps away,
    wildness slowly leaves and takes its secrets with it'.

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  9. "What good is it?" you laugh, "If we can't use it?" This is the attitude of the world and for this, this ruin. Your poem reminds me of G.M. Hopkins' poem Inversnaid: "What would the world be, once bereft / Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left, / O let them be left, wildness and wet; / Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet."

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  10. A beautiful write about the importance of wilderness for its own sake!

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  11. "Wilderness exists when it’s unseen—undisturbed—"-- unfortunately not many places are left untouched by us! I wish I get one!
    Sigh....
    Beautiful poem with a great message, Susan.

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  12. Human beings seem to have perfected the art of using things--not only wilderness, but each other.

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  13. This is such a lovely sentiment, I love the whole idea of it

    Wilderness is indeed sacred

    https://mindlovemisery.wordpress.com/

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  14. 'Hold it sacred' - really sends this message home. So few places of beauty remain undisturbed. Beautiful writing, Susan.

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